Salford on the up - and up

THE "Dallas" effect at Salford Quays is set to continue with this latest development. Two residential blocks containing 194 apartments plus an open-plan office block and a two-storey car park - with landscaping on top - have been approved.

THE "Dallas" effect at Salford Quays is set to continue with this latest development.

Two residential blocks containing 194 apartments plus an open-plan office block and a two-storey car park - with landscaping on top - have been approved by council planners.

They will stand on a site bounded by the Anchorage office building, a dockland walkway and the Erie basin. The residential blocks will be 20-storey and nine-storey and the office block five storeys.

The site is now used as a car park for commuters and many people are furious at the loss of their regular space.

Other letters from residents opposed to the scheme said the proposals were too high and out of character with the surrounding area and suggested the Quays would become "a ghost town of empty developments".

But councillors voted unanimously in favour of the £14m scheme by Ship Canal Enterprise Ltd. It is expected to take three years to complete.

Derek Antrobus, the city's development services spokesman, said: "This is an exciting new development with more stunning architecture for Salford Quays.

"This proposal will ensure a dockside walkway is maintained, and the inclusion of bars and restaurants fronting the walkway will increase the attractiveness of this presently under-used part of the walkway to the benefit of residents, employees and visitors to the Quays.

"The redevelopment of this site will contribute significantly to the ongoing regeneration of this part of the city and is more evidence that Salford is on the up."